1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling device for a liquid-cooled type internal combustion engine, which is suitably applicable to a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional cooling device for a liquid-cooled type internal combustion engine, an electric (motor-driven) pump for circulating cooling water and an electric flow rate control valve for regulating a flow rate of cooling water circulating in a radiator are controlled independently from each other.
The conventional cooling device, however, is problematic from a point of view of decreasing the power (electric energy) consumption of the pump.
An object of the present invention is to decrease, in a cooling device for a liquid-cooled type internal combustion engine including an electric (motor-driven) pump and an electric flow rate control valve, the power (electric energy) consumption of the pump.
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a cooling device for a liquid-cooled type internal combustion engine is provided and comprises a radiator (200) for cooling coolant flowing out of an liquid-cooled type internal combustion engine (100) and returning the cooled coolant to the liquid-cooled type internal combustion engine (100), a bypass circuit (300) for making the coolant flowing out of the liquid-cooled type internal combustion engine (100) bypass the radiator (200) and return to the liquid-cooled type internal combustion engine (100), a motor-driven flow rate control valve (400) for regulating a bypass flow rate of coolant flowing through the bypass circuit (300) and a radiator flow rate of coolant flowing through the radiator (200), a motor-driven pump (500) for circulating the coolant through the liquid-cooled type internal combustion engine (100) and the radiator (200); the pump being driven independently from the liquid-cooled type internal combustion engine (100), and control means (600) for electrically regulating the motor-driven flow rate control valve (400) and the motor-driven pump (500) while associating the former with the latter.
Thereby, when a predetermined discharge flow rate from the motor-driven pump (500) must be obtained, it is possible to minimize the power consumption (electric energy consumption) of the motor-driven pump since the power consumption (electric energy consumption) of the pump (500) can be minimized while suppressing the water flow resistance as much as possible.
The present invention will be more fully understood from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings.